Here comes Baruch again

by stillin 16 Replies latest jw friends

  • XBEHERE
    XBEHERE

    I have been saying it for months now...this Jeremiah book is nothing more than an attempt for the Org to push its policies under the guise of "bible principles" makes me sick really.

  • JW GoneBad
    JW GoneBad

    I've also been sitting through these meetings as we discuss chapter 9 of the Jeremiah book regarding Baruch and his wanting to 'seek great things' for himself .

    I agree it is a big stretch to be using Baruch's account as a put-down to higher learning.

    As I look around the Kingdom Hall and contemplate the WT's reasoning I can't help but notice how many in attendance depend on eye glasses in order to read the lesson. I would say 70% in attendance (young and old) suffer from macular degeneration, glaucoma, detached retinas, cataracts or some other form of vision loss to where they need eye glasses to function in life.

    Yet, JWs seem to forget that if it were not for higher education, 4 to 8 and more years of intensive education on the part of those whose profession it is to care for our vision, most in the KH would not have adequate eye sight to read. And I'm only talking about one of countless specialized fields in medicine requiring University type higher education that we all should be very appreciative of instead of reproaching.

    This lesson about Bauch has taught me one thing for sure: How ungrateful and shortsighted the JW community can be!!!

  • blondie
    blondie

    I always thought that "the great things" that Baruch was "seeking" were material things, wealth and prominence....over 40 years a jw, never remember it being applied to education. Must be a new direction.

    *** w06 8/15 p. 18 Baruch—Jeremiah’s Faithful Secretary ***

    Jehovah did not specify what these “great things” were, but Baruch must have known whether they were selfish ambitions, prominence, or material prosperity.

    *** g03 4/8 p. 21 What Is Materialism? ***

    Jehovah strongly counseled Baruch, who served as secretary to the prophet Jeremiah. Baruch was likely poor because of the circumstances in Jerusalem and his close association with the unpopular Jeremiah. Even so, Jehovah observed: “As for you, you keep seeking great things for yourself. Do not keep on seeking.” It may be that Baruch started to become materialistic, developing a preoccupation with the wealth or material security of others. Jehovah reminded Baruch that He would deliver him from the destruction coming upon Jerusalem but that He would not preserve his possessions.—Jeremiah 45:4, 5.

    Here's the twist

    *** w11 6/15 p. 30 “Make Your Way Successful”—How? ***

    What can we draw from this account? The counsel Baruch received indicates that something was amiss. He was seeking great things for himself. If you have a means of supporting yourself, do you really need to spend time, money, and effort on further education just to realize personal aspirations or those of your parents or other relatives?

  • Gopher
    Gopher

    : I always thought that "the great things" that Baruch was "seeking" were material things, wealth and prominence....over 40 years a jw, never remember it being applied to education. Must be a new direction.

    So apparently the WT Society is admitting that education is a "great thing"! Finally!

  • stillin
    stillin

    I notice, too, the mention of parents "vicariously" enjoying their children's successes. That's bad, too.

    PI wonder whether any of the witnesses have come to grips with the subtle public statement that the society makes with its' acquisitions and buildings. Vicarious success, maybe? That's one of the big factors contributing to televangelists' wealth. Those losers sitting at home, watching their TVs, sending money and "being a part of" his success.

  • XBEHERE
    XBEHERE

    I always thought that "the great things" that Baruch was "seeking" were material things, wealth and prominence....over 40 years a jw, never remember it being applied to education. Must be a new direction.

    It is still material things and prominence but now they are implying that those things go hand in hand with higher education. As if a window washer can not be prideful, self absorbed or materialistic.

  • Oubliette
    Oubliette

    BOC: The bible is just a vehicle for their cult behavior control tactics.

    XBEHERE: this Jeremiah book is nothing more than an attempt for the Org to push its policies under the guise of "bible principles"

    This is exactly right.

    The Bible is essentially nothing more than a prop for the WTBTS. They pick and choose scriptures that they can twist and force fit to give the illusion that what the GB wants is what God wants.

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